Holdback



(No Model) 0. W. TEETZEL. HOLDBAOK.

\ Patented Oct. 25,1887.

UNIT D STATES PATENT -rrrcn.

CHARLES W. TEE'IZEL, OF BENTON HARBOR, MICHIGAN.

HOLDBACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 372,184, dated October25, 1887.

. Application filed April 20, 1887. Serial No. 235,5 3. (No model.)

' useful Improvement in Safety Holdhack-Strap Attachment, of Which thefollowing is a description.

The device or attachment above alluded to consists of a metal caseorshell to be attached to the shaft or thill, in which case is a slideor bolt provided with a coiledwirespring, the action of which spring andslide or bolt hold in position within slots in the shell or case a loopattachment having a T-shaped lug,which loop attachment holds firm whenpulled backward, but which detaches itselfwhen pulled forward.

A further and fuller description of the device is as follows, refcreneebeing had to the accompanying drawings making part of thisspecification, in whieh' Figure l is a side view of the holdbackattachment wit-hthe loop attachment in position. Fig. 2 is a horizontalsection. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the loop attachment to whichthe holdback strap is fastened.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several views.

In the drawings, A represents the case or shell, pa t of which isremoved in Fig. 2 to disclose the plan.

B is the slide or bolt.

0 is the coilednvire spring.

D is the loop attachment, on which 8 is the T-shaped lug.

E is one or more openings or slots in the shell A, by which the slide orbolt B within the case or shell A may be moved forward against thespring C.

The purpose of the invention is to avoid accident, and the practicalworking is as follows: The shell or case A is attached to the shaft orthill of the vehicle by means of screws inserted through the extensionsG andH of the case or shell A, and in such relation that the end H willbe toward the vehicle. To hitch the horse in the thills, the slide orbolt B is moved forward against thecoiled spring 0 by means of the knobF, so that the depressions in the slide or bolt B will come immediatelyunder the openings E. The loop attachment is taken and the T-shaped lugis placed in one of the openings E. The knob F is released and thecoil-spring G will push the T- shaped log of theloop attachment backwardinto the slot or small part of the opening E.

From the above it will be evident that in the event the horse should runaway and the traces become detached or the whiftletree broken thevehicle cannot be dragged along by the thillstraps or holdl'ack-straps,as they will instantly become detached from thethills byalight pull forward, as above described.

What I claim as my invention, and desire secured by Letters Patent, is

A safety holdback-strap attachment for vehicles, comprising a metalshell or case, A, provided with means for securing it to the thill, andwith one or more openings, E, in combination with the loop attachmentI), having the T-shaped lug s, to enter the openings E, and a slidingspring-bolt within the shell A, operating to force the lugs into thenarrow portion of the opening E, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES W. TEETZEL.

